The warplanes were purchased by Israel from Lockheed Martin in part with funds from the $2 billion-plus annual military aid provided by Congress.

The F-16I, known as Sufa, storm in Hebrew, was designed to expand Israels strategic reach and is essentially an American-built plane outfitted with a number of Israeli technologies. The Sufas major innovation is a pair of external fuel tanks, which significantly extend the range of the plane, increasing the ability of the Israeli air force to counter distant threats.

This is a magnificent aircraft and is a perfect example of the synergy that comes from the collaboration between our nations, said U.S. Air Force Col. Timothy Murphy, the U.S. military attaché to Israel.

Calling the Sufa a wonderful combination of United States industrial capacity and Israeli ingenuity, Col. Murphy declared the plane, the newest symbol of the close and continuing relations between our countries and of the U.S. commitment to the defense of Israel.